GILAS Pilipinas is ramping up its preparations for the FIBA World Cup.
With 12 players in the 20-man national training pool reporting for duty, Gilas set up a training camp last Saturday at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba.
Reigning PBA MVP Scottie Thompson of Ginebra and teammate Japeth Aguilar, former six-time winner June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel Beer and Beerman CJ Perez, Meralco’s Chris Newsome, JP Erram of TNT, naturalized big man Ange Kouame, and overseas-based standouts AJ Edu, Thirdy Ravena, Kiefer Ravena, and Rhenz Abando heeded the call, some of them being away from their families on Father’s Day.
The Kings’ Jamie Malonzo also showed up for the first time in the nationals’ build up for the blue-ribbon world cage spectacle the Philippines is co-hosting with Japan and Indonesia from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10.
Japan B. League mainstay Dwight Ramos was expected to arrive in the country yesterday.
The Chot Reyes-mentored team is also waiting for injured players Ray Parks Jr. and the Tropang Giga duo of Roger Pogoy and Calvin Oftana to join the camp.
Naturalized forward Justin Brownlee is reportedly already in the country and could rejoin the team in the next few days, while Jordan Heading is still in the United States.
Prized 7-foot-3 center Kai Sotto and NBA standout Jordan Clarkson of the Utah Jazz are unlikely to join the pool’s preparations.
After spending four days in Calamba, Gilas will fly to Estonia on Thursday to toughen up against a slew of European teams in a series of tune-up games.
Gilas was drawn with Italy, Dominican Republic, and Angola in Group A of the World Cup.
The Filipino cagers need to finish at least in the top two at the end of the group stage to advance to the next round and hopefully boost their bid of becoming the best placed Asian squad to directly qualify to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
